Starz’s Outlander prequel Outlander: Blood of my Blood returns for season two, picking up the stories of Claire and Jamie’s parents during a pivotal period in each of their relationships. Season one ended with Henry and Julia together and possibly on their way through the stones. Meanwhile, Ellen and Brian fled after Brian accidentally killed Malcolm. However, they knew their time together would be short after seeing burning crosses, signaling the clans to join the Jacobite rebellion.
(The following is a recap of Outlander: Blood of my Blood season two, episode one – “Remembrance Day” – and there are spoilers.)
Henry (Jeremy Irvine) comes to and hears lights buzzing. He’s confused, asks where he is, and learns he’s in the Inverness Lunatic Asylum. Dr. Perryman (Alasdair Harvey) asks for his name, and Henry finally says it, immediately asking for his wife and son. Unfortunately, no one was with him when he was found.
Henry insists he needs to leave and Perryman takes off the straitjacket. Perryman explains he has a blow to the head and shoulder and must have a concussion. He was found on the moors, looking beat up and with the attitude of a Highland warrior. They sedated him, and only after looking at the light again does Henry realize he’s not in the same time as his wife and baby. Perryman asks the year and name of the prime minister and Henry gets both wrong.
Henry insists his wife, Julia, is in danger and needs to find her now.
The action shifts back to Craigh Na Dun in 1715. Henry and Julia (Hermione Corfield) panic when they touch the stones and nothing happens. They spot three men approaching, including Arch Bug (Terence Rae), and Julia insists that Henry leave. Henry doesn’t and instead holds a knife to her throat, as if he’s kidnapped her. He tells Arch he won’t hurt her, but Arch thinks he’s a liar.
Arch attacks and Henry’s stabbed in the shoulder. He hears buzzing and accidentally places his hand on the stone and disappears. Arch is confused about where Henry went but is relieved that he’s rescued Julia.
In 1924, Henry’s having a difficult time explaining why he’s the only person who can locate his wife. Perryman shows him the knife that was still in his shoulder when he was found on the moors, desperate for Henry to admit he needs help. The doctor believes Henry is suffering from PTSD (although it wasn’t called that then) and is living in a fantasy right now. He assures Henry that he didn’t visit 1715 and clash with the Jacobites; he fought on the Western Front in 1915. Henry cries and shakes his head, confused and now doubting himself.
“Sometimes we have to tell ourselves stories to make it all seem more palatable,” says Perryman. But Henry must accept the truth now.
Meanwhile in 1715, Julia and baby William are delivered back to Castle Leathers. Davina Porter (Sara Vickers) is overjoyed to have them back and promises she didn’t suffer much while Julia was missing. However, she needs to bring them to Lord Lovat straight away.
Julia fakes a smile and announces she’s returned after being taken by the Grant man. Lord Lovat (Tony Curran) inspects the baby to make sure he wasn’t harmed. He truly believes William is his son and the boy named in the prophecy.
Julia has a difficult time not pulling away when Lord Lovat touches her, and Lord Lovat flies into a rage. He’s furious that Julia and the baby were abducted and that Brian’s also disappeared. Julia reminds him of the seer’s words that he would emerge victorious in battle and suggests he personally needs to join the fight. Lord Lovat claims he’s planning on it, and she asks to help him prepare for war with a cup of tea.
Julia’s sobbing when Davina finds her and Julia reveals that Henry isn’t dead; they were chased all the way to Craig Na Dun. Suddenly, Davina realizes that Julia is in fact different, as she’s always suspected. She thinks Julia is one of the faerie folk. Julia laughs and Davina refuses to open her eyes. Finally, she does, and Julia swears she’s not a faerie. Davina is now certain that Julia is a witch. Julia confesses she comes from a different time, and Davina actually accepts that she comes from 1923. She even recalls Julia mentioning King George V.
Julia explains they’ve been trying to get back through the stones to their daughter, Claire. But Arch attacked them and Henry somehow went through without her and the baby. Julia sobs because she’s going to miss Claire’s sixth birthday. She loves her more than life itself, and now Claire won’t understand why her mom isn’t there for her.
“A part of my heart is missing and I’m afraid it always will be,” cries Julia. She pleads with God to let Henry be with Claire.
Speaking of Henry, Dr. Perryman administers electroshock therapy, telling Henry to think of the war before starting the shock therapy. Henry relives a battle, the therapy ends, and he’s much calmer.
Later, he’s in a wheelchair sitting outside when a man’s uniform reminds him of the poppies Julia worked on for Remembrance Day. He has a flashback of donning his uniform for the special day and Julia asking if the uniform takes him back to those days. He admits it does, but she and Claire bring him back to the present and all those memories go quiet.
He comes back to his present situation as he’s taken in for his next shock treatment. Memories of the war and Claire intermingle in his head until finally Claire starts to fade. He screams as memories of Arch Bug injecting a drug in his neck flood his brain. Claire has now completely vanished, and he has a false memory of their family just being him and Julia. (This is so heartbreaking!)
Dr. Perryman insists that Henry needs to stop thinking of Julia and only think of the men in his unit and the horrors he saw. Henry’s given multiple shock treatments on the same day.
In 1715, Brian (Jamie Roy) and Murtagh (Rory Alexander) arrive home, and Davina gives her son a hug, happy to see them.
Lord Lovat questions where he’s been, but Brian doesn’t explain. Lord Lovat insists they need to immediately start gathering men for their military campaign, but Brian doesn’t think men will follow his father after all his scandals. (Julia’s there too, but she and Brian don’t speak.)
Lord Lovat is certain the men will follow him because he’ll make them do it. Brian says he’ll fight for him only because he’s sworn an oath.
Brian leaves and Julia assures Lord Lovat that he’s a born leader. She’s not sure Brian’s the best person to recruit other men. (She has such a fantastic way of pushing him in the direction she wants him to go without him realizing he’s being manipulated.) Julia claims that even though they were just separated, he may have to leave her to show Brian how to properly conduct himself.
Meanwhile, Henry continues with the shock treatments. He recalls time spent with Julia as Julia goes through a trunk filled with letters. She finds one that’s sealed and Henry explains it’s to the mother of Private Charlton, the young man he tried to save in Passchendaele. He never mailed the letter to his mother, which included that Charlton was thinking about her in his last moments. Julia suggests they mail it now.
Julia talks about capturing moments in time with her camera, since each moment is so different. Henry stares deeply into her eyes, tells her he loves her, and points the camera at her. They kiss and then they come together, forgetting about the camera.
Nurse Wilson (Naomi Stirrat) finds Henry in his wheelchair, sitting alone in a room and calling out for Julia.
Henry’s mental condition has deteriorated and when a chaplain (Tom Ashley) visits him, he wonders why the 20th of October date keeps coming to him. He doesn’t remember why it’s important and thinks it might be his wedding date. (It’s Claire’s birthday, but he doesn’t remember he had a daughter.) He also keeps thinking about the letter C. He repeats the letter as the chaplain asks him if he believes in God. The chaplain hands him the St. Anthony necklace his rescuers found by him at Craig Na Dun and introduces himself as Reverend Wakefield!
Henry says the necklace was given to him by Julia. He explains he loved Julia before he ever saw her face and talks about how they exchanged letters during the war. Was that destiny or fate – or maybe God?
Wakefield offers to take down a letter to send to Julia, and Henry’s adamant that it must include S.W.A.K. He also orders Wakefield to include the letter C and October 20th. Henry struggles to gather his thoughts, certain there are things he needs to remember. He has Wakefield write down Julia and Leathers and then thinks there’s something important about an insect – finally latching onto Bug. He doesn’t know why it’s important, but it is.
Henry keeps trying to recall things and has Wakefield write down something about the prophecy and the king and how “he” thinks his son is next in line. Henry wonders if Wakefield got everything, but when the reverend asks, he won’t give him Julia’s address. He knows she’s not there.
The doctors won’t let him write anything down himself, but he needs to remember things to get back to Julia. Wakefield gives him what he wrote and suggests they can continue Julia’s note another day. Wakefield asks if there’s anyone else to write to and Henry says no, there’s no one.
Henry’s wheeled out of the room, obsessing over C and October 20th.
Reverend Wakefield dines at home with Mrs. Graham (yes, Mrs. Graham!) and they debate the way food should be prepared. He’s happy they have the freedom to choose and a mind that allows it. The wounded souls in the asylum are completely delusional. He mentions Henry (not by name) and that he was found at Craig Na Dun and thinks he came from the past and wants to return there to his wife. By the expression on Mrs. Graham’s face, she has obviously heard about this before. She reminds him of all the stories of people disappearing and of faerie wives. Those stories must have come from somewhere and there are things beyond their understanding.
Wakefield wishes he could help, but these men will be in the asylum the rest of their lives.
In 1715, Julia cares for her baby and talks about horoscopes and then explains to Davina what horoscopes are. Julia wonders if the seer, Maisri, knows anything about the stones and Davina thinks she does and that she would be willing to help. But they must be careful. Julia thinks she was wrong about the prophecy, but Davina is certain there is some truth to it somewhere. Julia decides they need to summon her without Lord Lovat finding out.
Henry and Julia’s episode one story ends with Mrs. Graham paying a visit to Henry. She offers him a biscuit and then asks if they can talk about where he’s been. He doesn’t want her to think he’s crazy and admits he’s starting to forget Julia. Henry thinks it’s possible she’s not real, but he doesn’t think he could have imagined their love.
Mrs. Graham says, “I believe you. I believe you came through time.” Henry asks for her help.
Impending War Forces Ellen and Brian Apart
Things aren’t much more stable for Ellen (Harriet Slater) and Brian, who are having a difficult time saying goodbye. They gently touch each other – with clothes in place – and then quietly kiss. Ellen demands that he come back to her if his father orders him to fight in the Jacobite Uprising. He swears he will; they belong to each other. Brian is certain that after all this passes, they’ll have land and live a peaceful life together. However, if he is killed in battle, he hopes that he’s leaving her pregnant so that she’ll still have a piece of him.
Brian and Ellen make love, knowing this might be the final time they’re together.
Murtagh spots Mackenzie men with dogs and horses heading their way and runs to warn Brian and Ellen, who are glowing in the aftermath of afternoon sex and talking about their future. She believes that his soul speaks to hers, and that’s why they fell in love.
Ellen’s sure the men are looking for her, and she orders Brian to leave with Murtagh because the MacKenzie men won’t harm her. Brian needs to go home and find out if he has to join the fight. She loves him because he’s honorable, and Brian promises she will be his wife before God. (They have less than a year and a day after being handfasted to get married.)
Back at Castle Leoch, Colum (Seamus McLean Ross) and Dougal (Sam Retford) give their condolences to Malcolm ‘Mac’ Grant (Simon Merrells) over the death of his nephew, Malcolm, Ellen’s betrothed who was stood up on his wedding day and then died. Mac is certain that it’s all Ellen’s fault, but Colum insists that’s not possible since she fled. Ned Gowan (Conor MacNeill) suggests that Malcom was drinking and could have just fallen to his death on his own dirk.
Mac’s insulted by the very idea. But Colum and Dougal turn the tables and hint that Mac did this to gain control of the family. Dougal reminds him that since the crosses are lit and the Grants declared for the Jacobites, they are united for the upcoming war and must put aside their differences.
However, Colum isn’t convinced the MacKenzies will join the battle. Ned wraps up the argument, calling Malcolm’s death a terrible tragedy.
Maura is devastated that her brother is dead and the proper respects aren’t being paid. Mac assures her they will be when he takes Malcolm home. She makes him promise that after the war, Malcolm will have a formal funeral. Mac agrees but hopes Arch has found the bladier Henry so that he will be officially installed as laird.
Dougal finds Maura (Bobby Rainsbury), and she knows her brother deserved better than a sudden death. She also knows that Dougal didn’t want to be married – and neither did she – but Dougal admits that’s where they are now. She claims she’s okay and Dougal takes a seat next to her, assuring her he’ll stay there a while. He gently places his hand over hers.
Ellen lets the MacKenzie men take her home to Castle Leoch. Colum slaps her hard and demands to know why she ran and why she broke her promise to marry Malcolm. He orders the men to take Ellen away. Before she leaves, she insists he should have asked her why she came back. Colum doesn’t care and has her locked up.
Season 1 Outlander: Blood of my Blood Recaps:
- Outlander: Blood of my Blood Episode 1 “Providence” Recap
- Episode 2 “Sealed with a Kiss” Recap
- Episode 3 “School of the Moon” Recap
- Episode 4 “A Soldier’s Heart” Recap
- Episode 5 “Needfire” Recap
- Episode 6 “Birthright” Recap
- Episode 7 “Luceo Non Uro” Recap
- Episode 8 “A Virtuous Woman” Recap
- Episode 9 “Braemer” Recap
- Season 1 Finale Recap
